My New Year’s Resolutions

I’m such a perfectionist that the past few years, I’ve chosen not to do any New Year’s resolutions, simply because I didn’t need any added pressure. I’m really good at setting goals and then beating myself up if I don’t hit them. I don’t need a calendar to add to it.

But there’s something fresh about this new year – I’m in a place where I have the time and bandwidth to DO. And my heart is hungry, so I have chosen two resolutions – themes, really – for my 2016.

Print

It’s no secret that Mr. Right and I have a deep love of hosting people in our home. We both did it separately before we met, and it’s one of those wonderful things in common that God knew we needed in a spouse. In early 2015 we were both really rocked by reading Bob Goff’s Love Does (buy it now!), and made a commitment to bringing people into our home just to love on them. We want our home to be a refuge to others, a place of peace, a place without judgment or stress. A place where they can leave the hard things of life at our doorstep and just walk inside and experience LOVE.

create
In 2016, our goal is to host 200 people in our home. It sounds like a big number, but it’s really not. I’m pretty sure we hosted 200 people in our home last year, so this is nothing new, but I am so excited to actually track it this year with a guest book, and to be even more intentional about setting aside time in our schedule.

In 2015 we easily had 90 people in our home, simply between a Halloween and New Year’s party. There was another month where we probably hosted 40-50 people at casual dinner parties (we were VERY tired after that month – but happy). We tend to have people over about once a week, so if we have 50 people attend our annual Halloween party (which we usually do), that leaves just 3 people a week. That’s just one dinner a week, which is something we have already prioritized. Add in another party (man, we love parties), and we’ll tip the scales well over 200. It’s totally doable.

And how great, at the end of 2016, to say that 200 people got to experience love in our home? That for a few hours, they got to be spoiled, listened to, fed. What a wonderful way to spend a year.

Print

This year I took a personality test and my results said that I am in the ninety-fifth percentile for creativity. Not talent, mind you, but creativity. I wake up in the morning with an urge to create, and I go to bed at night dreaming of what I can make the next day. I love it – it’s in my bones. And so for 2016, I want to have a special focus on creating. Particularly, I want to try new things with sewing (and possibly host a sewing retreat – more details to come), practice my calligraphy and hand lettering, and do more writing.

Speaking of writing, Mr. Right has gifted me with a writing retreat in February – three days away at an Air BNB, just me and my computer and hours and hours of uninterrupted writing time. I can’t wait.

In 2016, I want to create simply for the sake of creating. I want to enjoy the creative process, and not be limited by a need to be perfect or even good at something, but to just try. To try and fail and to laugh about it and try again. To not worry about an end product, but to learn something in the process. Speaking of learning, I have enrolled in a website that offers online tutorials in just about everything under the sun. Learning and creating are an inseparable couple.

And in a nutshell, that’s my 2016. Hosting and creating. I know God has some adventures and challenges headed my way, but as I venture out into the unknown, it’s good to have a focus, isn’t it?